The Washington governor has been focused laser-like on the issue of climate change. "We are the first generation to feel the sting of climate change," he said, "but we are the last generation that can do something about it." He noted that a recent
Iowa poll showed that the environment was the top issue for Democratic voters, tied with healthcare. With Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal helping to push the topic to centre stage, Mr Inslee could be in position to capitalise on the attention.

His big idea: Clearly environmental action is the central thrust of Mr Inslee's campaign, although he says he has no one preferred policy "silver bullet", but rather wants a multifaceted "silver buckshot" approach.

His biggest challenge:
If he succeeds in raising his visibility by pushing the environmental issue, his biggest challenge will be using that attention to sell Democratic voters on the rest of his progressive record in Washington.

On Government Reform:
End the filibuster; it dooms good legislation

One big idea [that Gov. Jay Inslee] threw his weight behind [at the SXSW conference] in Austin was eliminating the legislative blocking tactic known as the filibuster in the US Senate: "Anyone who says they want to do anything of any significance in the
next several years has to be in favour of ending the filibuster or they're not serious," Mr Inslee told me. "So if you say you're serious about climate change, but you're not categorically against the filibuster, then you're dooming the US to failure."

On Energy & Oil:
We are last generation that can do something about climate

Campaign announcement: "I'm running for president because I'm the only candidate who will make defeating climate change our nation's number one priority," Inslee declares in a video shared on social media. "We're the first generation to feel the
sting of climate change, and we're the last that can do something about it," he says in the video. "This crisis isn't just a chart or graph anymore. The impacts are being felt everywhere."

Source: Common Dreams e-zine on 2020 Democratic primary
Mar 1, 2019

On Energy & Oil:
Fighting climate change must be top goal of next president

Ultimately, I believe there is one central, defining, existential-with-a-capital-E threat to the future of the nation: climate change. It is clear that it will only be defeated if the United States shows leadership. And that will only happen if the
US president makes it a clear priority--the number one, foremost, paramount goal of the next administration. And I believe I'm uniquely positioned, by willingness and history and vision, to be able to do that.

[When Obama won in 2008], the
Democratic team said, "We're going to do health care first." And so climate didn't get done. Now, could it have gotten done if it was put first? There are no guarantees. But once health care went first, there wasn't enough juice to get climate through.
We simply cannot have that experience again. So [climate change] can't be on a laundry list. It can't be something that candidates check the box on. It has to be a full-blooded effort to mobilize the United States in all capacities.

I was very involved in passing the renewable portfolio standard [in 2006]. We went from zero to a billion-dollar wind industry in the last several years. We have moved the needle on the electrification of our transportation system. We've [helped with]
electric cars, because of the work we've been doing with incentives & building the electrical charging station grid on the interstate. We have created a clean energy research facility that's doing great work. We built a clean energy development program.
So I would say we have had substantial progress here, and I have been involved in virtually all of that in some way.

I don't get to vote on it, but I am totally in sync and believe that it is exactly what I have said for decades. I think these
aspirational goals are appropriate to the time and the scale. I love the fact that it is embracing economic justice issues as well. I think we have come to understand more about how marginalized communities have been the victims of climate change.

On Technology:
Requires major rebuilding of America, means new jobs

We should do what I said we should do in my book: a major industrial transformation to decarbonize the US economy that will result in millions of new jobs and greater prosperity. I don't think there's anything wrong with this approach.
I think it's necessary and suitable to the times. It's a major reindustrialization of America and we should talk about it in these terms. We need to build things again, all around the country

On Immigration:
Illegal immigration not a national emergency

We do not have a national security emergency. Donald Trump has a political emergency. He was unable to get Mexico to pay for his wall. He does not have the support of either party and the entire U.S. Congress on a bipartisan basis have told him his
wall is a colossal mistake. He ought to be responding to real emergencies like the forest fires. Climate change is burning down our forests. That's an emergency where we ought to have the help of the federal government. We don't have it.